


The Serpents

by Pembrooke330



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Jeronica, Jughead x Veronica, Riverdale, jughead - Freeform, veronica - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 01:55:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13694433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pembrooke330/pseuds/Pembrooke330
Summary: “I’m not playing around with you, Veronica. You cannot be a Serpent. I absolutely forbid it!”Veronica scowled as she touched the sleeve of her new leather Serpent jacket. The rich leather felt heavenly under her fingertips. She was in love with it already and the last thing she wanted to do was take it off.“How can you forbid something that is completely none of your business?” She asked as she looked up at Jughead.She quickly noticed how distressed he looked, and she had no idea why.





	The Serpents

“Take it off…now, Veronica.” Jughead demanded as he glared at Veronica in the middle of the Whyt Wyrm.

But Veronica stood in front of him, her hands on her hips, glaring right back.

“You can’t tell me what to do, Jughead Jones.” She replied as a chorus of “oooh’s” echoed throughout the smoky bar.

Jughead could feel his hands balling into fists as Sweetpea and Fangs smirked at him. Veronica Lodge had just completed all the requirements to become a Southside Serpent, but Jughead wasn’t having it. There was no way he could deal with Veronica Lodge being a part of his gang. It would do nothing but cause her trouble.

“I certainly can. If you really plan on being a Serpent now, I have seniority over you. I would own your ass.”

Veronica chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“So…what…are you going to brand me or something?” She said as she turned and stuck out her hip.

The bar erupted in laughter, causing Jughead’s face to turn red.

He grabbed Veronica by the arm and led her to the back room where his dad handled the most important of Serpent business.

Jughead slammed the door behind him.

“I’m not playing around with you, Veronica. You cannot be a Serpent. I absolutely forbid it!”

Veronica scowled as she touched the sleeve of her new leather Serpent jacket. The rich leather felt heavenly under her fingertips. She was in love with it already and the last thing she wanted to do was take it off.

“How can you forbid something that is completely none of your business?” She asked as she looked up at Jughead.

She quickly noticed how distressed he looked, and she had no idea why.

He hadn’t seemed to mind that she’d been hanging out a lot more with his Southside gang ever since they started working hand in hand with her father’s business dealings. She had somehow managed to be the physical embodiment of a peace treaty between the two sides, due to her ingenious ability to be diplomatic and kind. Things had been more peaceful in Riverdale than they had been in a long time.

So she was excited at the prospect of becoming a fellow Serpent when Toni, Sweetpea, and Fangs had encouraged her to join.

“You’re a bad bitch, Veronica Lodge. You belong with the Serpents.” Toni had said to her a few days earlier.

The idea had been so appealing to Veronica that she’d done all the initiation rituals, not having any clue that Jughead hadn’t even been aware of any of it. And definitely not thinking that he’d have such a huge problem with it.

“It is my business…because…because…”

Veronica stared at him, waiting for Jughead to explain why he was so hell bent on her not being a Serpent.

“What, Jughead?” She asked as she threw her hands in the air, exasperated with his hesitancy to just tell her what his reasons actually were.

“Because…I care about you. I don’t want this life for you.”

Veronica dropped her arms to her side in disbelief. Of all the random things Jughead was known to say, she hadn’t expected that.

“I know you’re a strong woman, Veronica, and you’re smart. You always have been. I know you can handle this life. You would kick ass as a Serpent. But…you’re better than this. And I can’t watch you go down this path.”

There was no longer any trace of the anger that Jughead had exhibited earlier. The only way Veronica could describe the look on his face was one of total defeat. As if the words he’d just said were so unlike him that he was exhausted from saying them.

“But you went down this path.” She replied softly.

Jughead shook his head as he ran a hand through his beanie-less hair.

“Only because I had no other choice. Being a Serpent is in my blood. But you do have a choice. Don’t make the wrong one.”

Veronica sighed.

“I don’t think this is the wrong choice, Jughead. And why do you care so much anyway? You can barely stand me as it is.” She said as she leaned against the oak table that sat in the middle of the meeting room.

Jughead looked at her wide-eyed, as if he couldn’t believe what she’d just claimed.

“What? Can’t stand you? You really think that, Veronica?”

But Veronica said nothing, only shrugged. She could feel tears playing at the corners of her eyes, so she breathed deeply, doing everything in her power to keep them from falling down her cheeks. She didn’t want Jughead to see her so vulnerable, to think she cared what he thought when it came to her. But truth was, she did care.

The two stayed silent, but Jughead looked restless. He would open his mouth to speak but then look down at his feet. With his hands in his back pockets, he began to pace the room. Finally, he stopped.

“Veronica Lodge…” He said declaratively as he looked her straight in the eyes.

“I love you. I’ve loved you for months now, ever since you started hanging out with us. Something just…happened and I…I fell hard for you. And I hadn’t told you because…because I know you can do better than me. You deserve better than me, but…I had to tell you how I feel. Especially…especially if it would stop you from being a Southside Serpent.”

He let out a long exhale, as if the weight of a brick house had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders, but he didn’t take his eyes away from hers.

She knew she had to say something, but she suddenly felt afraid. And being afraid was not something she felt often. But this was Jughead. The Jughead that she had known for so long and had always had a mocking, sarcastic, contentious relationship with. She could hardly wrap her head around the fact that he had just professed his love for her.

But without any hesitation, Veronica began to remove the Serpent jacket from her small frame. She folded it carefully before laying it down on the table behind her.

Jughead watched her, with a look of amazement on his face. Even with how adamant he had been about not wanting her to be a Serpent, she could tell that he hadn’t actually thought she would listen to him.

“Jughead…the way you feel means a lot to me. So…if you don’t want me to be a Serpent, I won’t be.”

Jughead breathed a sigh of relief.

“You won’t?” He asked, obviously desperate for more confirmation that she meant what she said.

Veronica nodded.

“I won’t. Because…I love you too…and…I want to make you happy. All I ask in return is that…is that you take me home…and stay the night.”

She waited apprehensively for Jughead’s reply, hoping he wouldn’t think she was crazy for being so bold. But she honestly loved him, and she wanted to be with him. And being with him was worth turning over the jacket. She wanted him more than she wanted to be a Serpent.

Finally, Jughead gave her that crooked grin of his that always melted her heart.

“I’ll give you whatever you want, Veronica. Now and always.”

And now she knew that this was the beginning of something even greater than being a Southside Serpent. It was the beginning of true love.

The End.


End file.
